Instead of expensive TV advertising, Democrats stressed organization and turnout. (It worked. On Tuesday 37% of all eligible voters showed up. The Republican strategy was based on a 33% turnout, in which their base would have loomed larger.)

The Democrats' own activist wings turned out. Unions struggled successfully, via rallies, phone banks and radio shows, to get their members to the polls. Black leaders worked on producing a turnout that saved Democrats in the South.

Catchy Caption of the Day

Actual Caption:

A German man who unsuccessfully tried to kill himself by jumping in front of a train must pay compensation for the damage he caused, a court in the southern city of Munich ruled Tuesday.

Which gives whole new meaning to the phrase: He missed the train.

(Vincent Kessler/Reuters )