Since 2004 I have made political endorsements on this web site for every election in-which I am eligible to vote. The 2010 general election is no different. Next week, I will be publishing the Off on a Tangent endorsements for Virginia’s 10th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, three Commonwealth of Virginia constitutional amendments, and a Loudoun County, Virginia, bonds referendum.
I will also be introducing something new this year: a sort of ‘general endorsement’ (I haven’t come up with a real name for it yet). Especially in years like this one, the elections in which I’m making endorsements only matter to a relatively small percentage of my readers. In addition to these specific endorsements, I’ll be adding an overarching ‘things you should consider when voting this year’ piece that will apply across-the-board to U.S. voters. I will not specifically endorse any particular candidates or party in this piece, but will hopefully provide you with some ‘food for thought’ as you consider your respective votes.
As I have done since 2004, I am planning to provide live election coverage from approx. 7pm until approx. midnight on 11/2/2010. This will include results for all races in which I’ve made endorsements and a feed of any relevant national news that might come up. I project winners based on my own method that includes analysis of media reports, exit polling, and official returns. I have been known to occasionally call an election winner correctly before any mainstream media outlet does, if the data supports it. (For example, I called the 2004 Presidential election for George W. Bush [R] several hours before any major media outlet had done so.)