Midterm Madness: The Year In Review (VIDEO)

Welcome to Election Day, everyone! All year long, we've noted that America is facing a host of difficult choices and tough circumstances. Long wars, massive unemployment, a foreclosure crisis that seems to get worse and worse and an economic recovery that's slow to emerge. How have your would-be lawmakers responded to this time in our lives? With the most infantile, substance-free campaign in memory.

We've been watching the campaign ads, the debates, and the interviews, and if there's some undercurrent of gravitas and maturity and dignity to be found in the country, we've not been able to discern it amid all of the chickens and the demon sheep and the gunplay and the singing and the dancing and the barely concealed childish wrath that's been allowed to masquerade as "conviction."

If you happened to miss any of our previous chronicles of Midterm Madness, we're here to help. Here's the story of how we got to where we are today.

PART ONE:

PART TWO:

PART THREE:

PART FOUR:

[All videos lovingly produced by Ben Craw.]

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Comments

[worker beenumbed]

09:53 PM on 11/02/2010

The health care bill means many people will not have to sell their houses to pay for a serious illness.The media rarely mentions this,yet they posture as liberals.The bill mandates a max out of patient's pocket of @ 3000. Deferred payments can be arranged. See health care bill summary at Thomas which is the bipartisan summary.

[worker beenumbed]

09:45 PM on 11/02/2010

The USA needs a Constitutional Amendment to reduce campaign spending Now there are no limits on spending.The entire developed world has limits except the USA.Also the media needs a truly public station.No sponsers.

[KevinFitzz]

02:22 PM on 11/02/2010

"The bible sez... The bible sez..." Boy, oh boy, do they ever cite this bible yet do they practice wtf
they preech (rhymes with screech)? disgusting

[polishlogician]

03:48 PM on 11/02/2010

I ate boiled kingcrab legs last night, I know, I'm going to hell they've got prohibitions in the bible against eating shellfish, but how can there be a heaven it's there's no boiled jumbo crab there?

[madisgp]

02:07 PM on 11/02/2010

My great hope is that the moderate and sane Republicans will be turned off by the Tea Baggers and stay home, and the Democrats wil be completly scarred to death of the Tea Baggers and go vote. Say a little prayer.

[J0E1]

02:06 PM on 11/02/2010

The best thing to come out of today is not any one candidate, or any group of candidates, it's an end to political ads on TV. Good Riddance!

[knot2]

03:38 PM on 11/02/2010

Sorry, according to Rachel M. -- Mr. Rove's group will continue their ads the rest of the year.

[hippynanainblingland]

08:30 AM on 11/03/2010

OMG! OMG! OMG! Now they're going for the . . . I can't articulate it! The Super Neener, I guess . . . The well-funded attempt to write a 1984 reality in stone . . . I've reached burnout, for now. I need a sabbatical from politics. I'm working on the quilt I've been neglecting for months, and hope to survive what's coming just by getting out of the way, though that might not be easy to do if my only income is eliminated, or even curbed.

So have they mentioned how they will deal with the homeless problem, about to increase in magnitude? Do the homeless vote? Are they allowed to?

[WhimsicalLib]

02:06 PM on 11/02/2010

Mr. President

I believe you and your administration have turned the corner.
Since you took office, things have changed for the better. (night and day..or dare I say b.lack and white),

It's been over a year now and let's take a look at some POSITIVE things:

- Improvement in the economy, stock market and jobs numbers.
- Improvement in World Standing, Outlook and relations
- Improvement in functionality and streamlining of government
- Improvement in transparency and information by the government
- Improvement in upholding the rule of law (domestic and international)
- Improvement in tax relief to the middle and lower classes
- Improvement in access to health care and Insurance for the middle and lower classes
- Improvement FOR the middle and lower classes (.) period

Now let's take a look at the Negative things :

- Republicans are still obstructing
- Republicans are still lying
- Republicans are still saying NO

I was not so good at math but I do know what 180 degrees means .

vote dem!

Regards,
Fun.ky

[grammy11]

12:58 PM on 11/02/2010

I've been voting for 55 years and have never felt fear until this election. The whack jobs really firghten me.

[LaBrayne35]

01:57 PM on 11/02/2010

Grammy, you sound like an old FDR fool. My 88 yr. old mother always said FDR was one of the worst presidents ever. And my mother was right. You old FDR voters have NEVER figured it out...you still just go in and look for the "D" thinking you're voting for "the working people". Ignorance is bliss. Your precious Democrat party has been hijacked by the Marxist left wingers and you are too dim to realize it.

[madisgp]

02:04 PM on 11/02/2010

Lies. This is the kind of "whack job" thinkers that grammy11 ius talking about. The people like you don't even know what Marxisism is. You just love to hate.

BTW, FDRs policies (The New Deal) laid the foundation that created the middle class in this country. Buy a history book.

[KevinFitzz]

02:25 PM on 11/02/2010

This is too easy LaLaBrain. Karl Marx? Really?

[hippynanainblingland]

08:35 AM on 11/03/2010

same here, grammy! see my post not much farther above.

[nfatt1]

12:52 PM on 11/02/2010

We are in serious trouble !

[Craig Van Ness]

12:33 PM on 11/02/2010

Like P.T. Barnum said; "There is a sucker born every minute".

[LaBrayne35]

01:59 PM on 11/02/2010

And as the Democrat icon Joe Stalin always said...The people who vote decide nothing, the people who COUNT the votes decide everything. And that is the ACORN CREDO

[Nardwilly]

02:16 PM on 11/02/2010

Ignorant comment, ACORN had nothing to do with counting votes. The counters matter, only if people cheat.

[Rodger leMonde]

02:45 PM on 11/02/2010

More like the Bush credo. remember Florida, the election that was stolen and started the demise of the economy.

[Tomasekbride]

12:19 PM on 11/02/2010

Did he really ask Matt Lauer if he'd take his kids to a gay pride parade?