My prediction, and this might be clouded by my preferred outcome:

House: Dems take control. This is kind of a no brainer. I'm not sure by how much, it doesn't really matter.

Senate: We go 50-50. Dems pick up Ohio, Pennsylvania, Montana, Missouri, and Virginia. Republicans hold Rhode Island and Tennessee. The result, King Chaffee.

As the only Republican to vote agains the Iraq war, Chaffee seems like a good independent man. See The Washington Note for lots of info on him. I predict he may even go true Independent once elected. Though, had he done it before the election, he would have been a shoe in. I guess he made the wrong call early on.

I saw Barak Obama speak at a Deval Patrick rally here in Boston the other day. I must say, he's a very charismatic man. He knows how to work, nay milk, a crowd. This rally was mostly young people, and knowing that, he touched upon issues important to us. He worked in his book, The Audacity of Hope, talking about how difficult it is to go into civics, given how easy it is to concentrate only on your own happiness. Much like entrepreneurship, the risk and job insecurity drives most people away. He also discussed energy dependence and the importance of alternative and renewable energy sources. I'm guessing he has picked up on Tom Freidman's hankering for a presidential call-to-arms on renewable energy and deemed it a good idea.

As for an '08 run, I say he could do it. Presidential politics in this country is a strange but simplistic game. He's got the charisma. If he can fend of accusations of being inexperienced, then he should be golden. I think people want a black president and are ready to vote accordingly. Some say his brief congressional record could be a boon. I would say it is at best neutral.

Also, I saw mentioned a theory on a Democratic takeover of Congress. It goes that, if given control, they probably wont make Iraq too much better. They will certainly get the troops out of harms way, but as for what will happen to the Iraqi state and people, it's anyone's guess. The big downside though, is that they will end up having to share responsibility for what happens in Iraq until the '08 election. I doubt this is a good reason for Republicans to actively try to lose Congress, but it is certainly a reason not to be dissapointed if it happens.

Full Steam Ahead. I love that new slogan. It's so idiotically brilliant, I can't take it.