The US mid-term polls: It ain’t over till it’s over...

01 Nov 2010

Washington: US president Barack Obama has stepped off the election treadmill though others, like his wife Michelle and vice president Joe Biden, are persisting with last minute rallies to get out the vote. Tuesday's mid-term elections are threatening to wipe out the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives and also come close to eating away the Democratic lead in the US Senate. Any which way the president and his party look, the scenario is not a pleasant one.

US CongressGiven the extremely partisan nature of the politics now being practised his balance two-year term will now be reduced to a lame-duck presidency.

All 435 House seats and 37 of the 100 Senate seats, along with nearly 40 governorships are in play in Tuesday's mid-term elections.

Given the consistent forecasts by America's legion of pollsters, the Republicans are expected to considerably shrink the Democrats' lead in the Senate, but fall short of the 10 seats they need to regain majority.

They are also expected to pick up several governor seats that they do not currently hold.

They are also forecast to sweep the House elections, easily reversing the 39-seat deficit they need to gain control.