It’s about 7:30 pm CST and polls across the nation will soon be closed. Our polls close in just half an hour. My votes and my predictions (let’s see how close I come):

President: I voted John McCain, Republican. This patriot deserves my vote, but I did not campaign for him, and I’m unsure how much better he would govern than George Bush. And my jury is still out on Palin. Wasn’t thrilled about this VP pick. But I had to vote against Obama, who I truly believe is a greater threat to individual rights and freedoms. Who wins? Obama by a landslide.

Senate: I voted Dean Barkley, Independent. I may be a conservative, but Norm Coleman should not go back to the Senate after selling us out so quickly in the Great Wall Street Bailout of ‘08. Al Franken is rude and disgusting, so that left Dean Barkley, who actually serverd as an appointed Senator after Paul Wellstone’s tragic death. Who wins? Al Franken by the tiniest of margins.

House: I voted Tim Walz, Democrat. I have blogged about him earlier. I may disagree with him on many issues, but  when it counted, he stood against his own party and represented his constituents. Gee, what a concept. He has earned my vote, and I actively campaigned here in Kiester for him. I also contributed to his campaign. Who wins? Tim Walz by a modest margin.

MN House: I voted Tony Cornish, Republican. Tony is the incumbent, and he’s worked hard for his constituents. Among other things, he helped save our local grocery store and he worked hard behind the scenes to help our school district get some relief from unfair bonding formulas. In addition, he champions our Second Ammendment Rights (Conceal Carry Law) and he is still working to get Castle Doctrine law passed in Minnesota. Who wins? Tony Cornish by a small margin.

National Races: Democrats pick up at least 15 more seats in the House, and (I’m out on a limb here) they get their 60 seat majority in the Senate (counting Independents who caucus with them).

Republicans need to learn from this. They have lost their way since Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich. They are no longer conservatives who champion liberty, freedom and smaller government. They have become the K Mart of politics, with no purpose or identity, while Obama has just breathed new life into socialism in America. Don’t whine. Don’t blame Obama. Don’t blame the media. Blame yourselves.