Open thread: Fiorina and Boxer debate

10 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. PT. Via Gabe Malor, you can watch below or at C-SPAN. Remember, the race is basically a dead heat at this point and, according to lefty pollster PPP, the big red wave is such that California actually qualifies as a battleground state this year. So … yeah, this is kind of important.

To put you in the mood, here’s the latest from Charlie Cook, who was last seen predicting utter destruction for the Democrats this fall. His new prediction: Even more utter destruction.

Simply put, Democrats find themselves heading into a midterm election that looks as grisly as any the party has faced in decades. It isn’t hard to find Democratic pollsters who privately concede that the numbers they are looking at now are worse than what they saw in 1994.

The race-by-race outlook confirms the dire forecasts. Cook Political Report House Editor David Wasserman points out that at this point, 32 Democratic incumbents are running even or behind their Republican challengers in one or more public or private polls. At this point in 2006, when Republicans lost control of Congress, only 11 GOP incumbents were running even or behind…

In the Senate, while the odds still favor Democrats holding on to a narrow majority, it is not only mathematically possible for the GOP to capture a majority this year, but it has become plausible. The odds of Democrats capturing even one currently Republican-held seat appear to be getting longer. Meanwhile, Republicans are running ahead or roughly even in 11 Democratic-held seats, one more than necessary for control of the Senate to flip. It’s still a tall order but not crazy to say that Republicans will win the Senate.

While we wait, enjoy this clip at Newsbusters of Bill Press reassuring Ed Schultz that election night will be a morgue in Boehner’s office and a party in Pelosi’s. I think he’s kidding, but given the source, I’m not sure.

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