The 'L' word: Obama on track to a Landslide

By GottaLaff

(Click on image to make it dance)

I just heard Craig Crawford use the L word on MSNBC, too. Are you ready for The Happy Post-O'-The-Day?:

Barring a dramatic change in the political landscape over the next three weeks, Democrats appear headed toward a decisive victory on Election Day that would give them broad power over the federal government.

The victory would send Barack Obama to the White House and give him larger Democratic majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate — and perhaps a filibuster-proof margin there.

That could mark a historic realignment of the country's politics on a scale with 1932 or 1980, when the out party was given power it held for a generation, and used it to transform government's role in American society.

Insert Smiley Face here.

The Democrats are also widely expected to take big gains in House and Senate races. Like Obama, they're reaching deep into once solid Republican territory. Even such stalwarts as North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, could be in jeopardy.

Building on the Democrats' sweeping wins two years ago when they seized control of both chambers of Congress, big gains this year would be reminiscent of the Republican gains in 1978 and 1980 that delivered "the Reagan Revolution."

Insert Happy Dance here. Former Reagan political adviser Ed Rollins:

"Barack has met the threshold," Rollins said. "Once Reagan met the threshold, people wanted to get rid of Carter and they did in a landslide. This is going to turn into a landslide."

Insert cartwheels here. Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia:

"It could hardly look better for the Democrats."

Insert cheers here. Independent analyst Charlie Cook:

But as of this week, Obama now leads in enough states to secure more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency.

He could lose some of those leads, of course. There's still one more presidential debate on Wednesday. And events could change. A terrorist attack, for example, could turn voters back to McCain's political strength: his standing on foreign policy and national security.

"But I don't know if even that would work," Cook said. "It's not like people would forget their pocketbooks."

Insert back flip here. Stuart Rothenberg:

"Republicans appear to be heading into a disastrous election that will usher in a very bleak period for the party. A new generation of party leaders will have to figure out how to pick up the pieces and make their party relevant after November."

Insert champagne toast here.