ONE WEEK TO GO – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  We vote in a week, and there is absolutely no certainty about the outcome.  I do get a sense, and it's only a sense, that the Democrats have made some gains in the last week.  It is possible, and this is speculation, that the horrible events have worked to the Democratic Party's favor, in part because they have given the tasteless brigades of the journalistic left a chance to bash the president and his party. 

There is plenty of evidence that most Americans are wise to the ways of the press, but some are not, and if the leftist journalists can move the needle only two or three points they can produce a profound effect on the makeup of the next Congress. 

Races are tightening.  From Fox: 

With a week to go until voters cast their midterm ballots, several long shot Senate candidates are catching up in the polls and adding another element of drama to the final stretch.

In Texas, where media darling Democrat Be to O’Bourke is running a well-funded campaign against Republican Seen. Ted Cruz, a Quinn University poll released Monday shows O’Bourke just 5 points behind Cruz in the deep-red state.

O’Bourke has benefited from intense media coverage and colossal fundraising, raking in more than $70 million since entering the race last year (compared with the $40 million Cruz has raised since 2013). Despite that attention, a number of polls have shown him to be as much as 10 points back. The Quinn poll suggests O’Bourke may be more competitive as the election draws closer.

"Forbore is within striking distance, but time is running out in a race that Democrats have hoped would deliver an upset victory that would be key to a Senate takeover," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez is only 5 points ahead of GOP challenger Bob Hugin, according to an Emerson poll released Monday, as the Republican tries to capitalize on the incumbent's ethics problems.

Menendez was found to have broken Senate ethics rules on receiving gifts, though a federal bribery case against him resulted in a mistrial last year. Hugin also has revived allegations that Menendez had sex with underage prostitutes during trips to the Dominican Republic -- allegations that Menendez has adamantly denied.

Hugin has been outspending Menendez by 3-1, with the majority of money going to ads hitting Menendez. But Menendez has been given a boost by the Senate Democrats' super PAC, which announced it would move another $2.8 million to Menendez, on top of another $3 million it recently shifted to New Jersey this month in an effort to keep Menendez in office.

COMMENT:  Losing Texas would be a serious blow to Republicans, especially since the winning Beto is the lightest of the lightweights.  He is a fine candidate for a student government, but not for a real one.

Despite all the hoopla, I expect New Jersey to return to its usual darkness and send Menendez back to Washington.

Other races are both exciting and frightening.  It is hard to believe that Arizona, the home of John McCain, would send a certified leftist wingnut like Krysten Sinema to the United States Senate, and reject Martha McSally, an American patriot who was the first American woman to fly in combat.  But it looks like it's happening.  Two recent polls show Sinema with a growing lead.

We look increasingly good in Missouri and Indiana, and Dean Heller might just hold on in Nevada.  In Florida, the race between great Governor Rick Scott and incumbent Bill Nelson is considered a toss-up.

Turnout is everything. 

October 30,  2018