Rapid Fire Election Night Impressions

Joe Sestak beat party-jumper Arlen Specter handily in Pennsylvania. This was a setback for the White House, but not entirely unexpected. Matthews described Sestak as "the little engine that could" and Big Ed Schultz, who's given to occasional hyperbole, said he's a "diamond in the rough," predicting he's not done yet.

I'll say. First Sestak needs to beat Toomey. And Eddie, next time you talk to your buddy Joe, please tell him to hire a speech coach STAT, because his speaking style -- the long pauses, the whiny delivery, the rambling -- won't cut it in the general. It's just too annoying. It doesn't even come close to Chris saying CHEE-KNEE -- we just ignore that. Just sayin' Eddie, advise your guy to hire that speaking coach and start talking in front of a mirror -- pacing, pacing, no more long pauses, and work on some more emphatic hand gestures -- or he'll lose on the cosmetics.

Seriously. Man, what an awful podium speaker. Gave me agita. Sestak needs to develop a strong stump speech -- he's got the slogans and the talking points -- and then deliver it in a way that doesn't have people tearing their hair out at all the pregnant pauses.

In Kentucky, "Ayn" Rand (it's gotta be, like father like son like Ayn) Paul, the guy with the ass-backward name in more ways than one has just made Kentucky competitive for the Democrats. His race -- AGAINST REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH McCONNELL's HANDPICKED CHOICE -- sucked all the punditocracy oxygen away from the Democratic contest, which actually featured two strong and attractive candidates.

Gotta love those Teabaggers. I find it hard to believe that, even in Kentucky, voters will go for someone who wants to repeal the Americans with Disabilities Act, and privatize/destroy Medicare and Social Security. Wrap that one around your pea brains, you old Teabagger farts. It's not the black guy who's going to take your (MINE MINE MINE) benefits away; it's the Ayn Rand candidate you backed.

The Pennsylvania 12th, for the late Rep. John Murtha's seat was a walkover for Murtha's aide, Democrat Mark Critz over Republican Tim Burns. The Republicans nationalized the election, put up a pretty young face, dumped lots of money into the race and got their asses burned. AGAIN. Woot! Losers. So much for the punditocracy's hope this contest would go Red so they could make all sorts of idiotic assertions about national trends.

In Arkansas, Blanche Lincoln went down to an excellent candidate, Lt. Governor Bill Halter. A REAL Democrat. A CENTRIST, but that's OK, it's Arkansas. Listen carefully, Chris, I'll say this only once: Blanche Lincoln is NO "centrist." She's a CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRAT, just like you are. Progressives who watch Hardball have not forgotten or forgiven you for using your platform to actively campaign against the public option and "those netroots people." Poetic Justice.

Lincoln is a nice lady, but a traitor to core Democratic values. Progressives are fed up with the sellout of the Progressive agenda, from the public option to watered down financial reform to protecting Big Oil. Lincoln was on the wrong side of every single one of these good public policy issues, and her deathbed conversion as a financial reform crusader fooled no one. One final point: The "netroots" Matthews was so disdainful of poured tons of money -- $20, $30 contributions -- into Halter's campaign to take CONSERVATIVE Democrat Blanche Lincoln down. So much for our waning strength at the polls, if we listened to the idiot punditocracy.

The pundits (as usual) are all wrong. This was a great night for the Democratic Party, with a nod to the Teabaggers. They're the Republicans' problem. November's looking good for the Dems.

Matthews, you lose. Big win for Big Eddie. And Howard Fineman's mom, too.